Bird ID?

[inmotion]

With this ridiculously hot weather, I've seen a lot of different birds come to my front yard to get water (I keep several water dishes & bird baths). I recognize most, but this one I hadn't seen before. Any ideas what it is...other than a hot thirsty bird...?

[scottbuckel]

It is a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Scott

[goshields]

Nice shot of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Grady

[inmotion]

PS: All pics taken from living room window

[inmotion]

thanks for the ID! Is that bird common to this area ?

Last pics:

[scottbuckel]

I have heard that they are migrating through Texas recently.

Scott

[Shadow]

Check here with the search feature

http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Texas_Birds

Nice work!

[labmansid]

Nice catch on the cuckoo. They are pretty common in Texas, I believe. Usually they are pretty shy and reclusive, so we don't see them that much. I hear them on occasion around my property, but only get rare glimpses of one.

[houtex01]

Nice captures Yvonne...still trying to get my first photo of this one...

Ron

[sandboa]

Nice capture. Yellow-billed Cuckoos are shy birds and are hard to photograph. I really like that last one in the second series.

They are surprisingly common in the central part of the state most of the summer, but are shy so most people don't know about them. If you learn their distinctive call you can hear them quite frequently but seeing them is a different issue.

Also, if you learn their flight pattern/shape, you will see them flying low across a lot of quiet roads in the summer. Unfortunately, they also get hit by cars more often that a lot of species because of that.

[inmotion]

Thanks for your comments.

Actually this was one of the most un-shy birds I'd seen...and since I hadn't seen it before, I couldn't resist taking some pictures. Maybe if I'd been outside it would've flown away, but it just sat out there for a looong time. It was obviously very thirsty and it would sit up in the branches and then go to the water and then back and again...

This hot & dry weather has been so hard on the birds - one day I counted over 30 cardinals out there, almost fighting over the water dishes.